1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method, a video game device, and a program for controlling character who appears in a game, and in particular, to a method, a video game device, and a program for controlling ways of slashing or wielding a sword owned by the character.
2. Description of the Related Art
Nowadays, video game devices have been spread to many families rapidly. And there are various games, such as a role-playing game, a simulation game, a combat game, a puzzle game, and the like. Therefore, many media each of which includes a software program which can execute one of these games are available in store.
Also, there are many types of video game devices to execute the software programs. For example, a home video game device can display images of a game by using a home television monitor. Further, a personal computer or a work station can also display these images on a CRT display connected thereto. In addition to the devices, there are also game devices in an amusement arcade, each of which includes a display device in its body. One game visually represents animated images by successively changing a plurality of different two-dimensional images with time. On the other hand, another game displays a virtual three-dimensional space (in other words, a pseudo three-dimensional space) by representing an object with its depth and changing contents of image according to a point of view of a main character of the games.
Most of games employ the both representing method.
In the above mentioned role-playing game or combat game, a player may move a main character by giving an instruction to defeat an enemy character. Such a movement or action of the main character may be, for example, an action of controlling (or slashing/swinging/wielding) a sword when the main character is attacked by the enemy. Thereafter, the player can proceed to the next stage of the game.
In this event, the player manipulates the sword with looking at game images displayed on a monitor in a point of view of the main character or in another point of view.
In the conventional video game device, simple control of a sword has been performed. That is, the sword which is held by a main character can be wielded just according to player""s instructions which are provided via an input device such as analog buttons.
However, moving directions of the analog buttons are limited to about four directions. Therefore, game character""s movement which is controlled by the analog button is completely different from actual movement of wielding a sword by a real person and consequently lacks reality. Furthermore, a species of the game character""s movement instructed by one of the analog buttons is limited to the instructed direction of slashing a sword and, as a result, it seems that impression of the game is monotonous and is not real.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a video game device and a method which can instruct a game character to act, for example, slash a sword in more various ways, by manipulating analog buttons.
It is another object of the invention to provide a video game device and a method which can individually control different actions, for example, slashing a sword and changing a posture with a sword by manipulating analog buttons or other input device.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a video game device and a method which controls to make the game character perform different actions according to a range or a speed of manipulating of the analog buttons.
Therefore, a video game device and a method of the invention detect manipulations of analog buttons of a game player and compute a range or a speed of the manipulations (movement) of the analog buttons to control make a game character perform different actions according to the computation result.
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a video game device which controls operations of a game character according to manipulations of a button by a game player. The video game device comprises a measuring unit which measures a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position (the button is moved from the first position to the second position by the game player), and a character control unit which controls to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player. The method comprises the steps of measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position (the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player), and controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording medium readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the computer to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player. The method comprises the steps of measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position (the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player), and controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and representing a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player. The method comprises the steps of measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position (the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player), and controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a program product comprising computer readable instructions and a recording medium bearing the computer readable instructions. The instructions are adaptable to enable a computer to perform a method of controlling operations of a game character according to a manipulation of a button by a game player. The method comprises the steps of measuring a moving time from when the button leaves a first position to when the button reaches a second position (the button being moved from the first position to the second position by the game player), and controlling to make the game character perform operations according to the measured moving time.